Сеosan: История, культура и святыни западного побережья Кореи.

Seosan is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea, with a population of roughly 175,000 according to the 2017 census. Located at the northwestern end of South Chungcheong Province, it is bounded by Dangjin City, Naepo New Town, Yesan gun and Hongseong gun on the east, Taean gun and the Yellow Sea on the west, south of Seoul, northwest of Daejeon and northwest of Naepo New Town. Seosan is the hub of transportation of the west coast where the Seohaean Expressway, Daejeon Dangjin Expressway, National Highways No. 29, 32, 38 and 45 intersect.

Although Seosan itself is fairly quiet and attracts relatively few tourists, there are a number of minor attractions in the rural areas outside of Seosan, most of which can be accessed within twenty minutes by car, or in an hour by bicycle. Many of these historic sites are well known only among the locals and often have few visitors, which can make them appealing to those wishing to escape the crowded palaces and temples of Korea's major cities. For an exhaustive list of tourist attractions in the Seosan Haemi area, detailed English language maps are available at the Seosan Intercity Bus Terminal.

Located in Haemi eup, approximately from Seosan (15 minutes by car or local bus; 45 minutes by bike), Haemieupseong Fortress is among the best preserved examples of Korea's Joseon era fortress architecture, and unlike most Joseon era fortifications, it was built on a flat plain rather than on a hill or mountain. Haemieupseong Fortress was completed in 1491 (22nd year of King Seongjong's reign), and surrounded the entirety of Haemi eup at the time of its completion. The fortress was used as a military command post controlling the Chuncheong do region, and provided defense against Japanese pirates along Korea's western coast. As the town of Haemi expanded in the early 20th century, much of the fortress was torn down to allow additional urban development, but a major restoration work was undertaken in 1973. Today, the South Gate of Haemieupseong Fortress is original, along with certain parts of the walls, while the other gates are reconstructions. Along with Yeosutgol, Haemieupseong Fortress is considered to be a Holy Ground among Korean Catholics due to the Byeongin Persecutions of 1866, during which many Catholics living in the Chuncheong area were killed at the fortress.

Approximately 200 meters from Haemieupseong Fortress is the Yeosutgol Holy Ground, where Korean Catholics were buried alive, drowned and otherwise killed en masse during the Byeongin Persecutions. Although most of the site's remains were washed away by flooding, some of them were rediscovered in 1935. The site now contains a large memorial hall devoted to those who were martyred for their faith, and is now a major Catholic pilgrimage site.

Hanseo University, a private university established in 1992, has 8,500 students and 50 departments that are staffed by 250 full time faculty members. It is located about south east of Haemi eup and can be reached in 15 minutes by a local bus from Haemi. The university provides courses in Chiropractic, a wide range of liberal arts, design, and engineering disciplines, and hosts aviation and flight training schools.

Seosan is served by Express and Intercity buses. Under optimal conditions, Express buses can reach Seoul's Gangnam Terminal in approximately 90 minutes, but can take up to 2.5 hours in the event of heavy traffic. Express buses to Seoul's Gangnam Terminal depart every half hour, while intercity buses to other locations depart every hour. Seosan does not have a railway station; the nearest station is Hongseong Station, on the Janghang Line, approximately south of Seosan. A number of local buses serve the Seosan Haemi area, with a fare between 960 and 1450 won.

Seosan is renowned for its locally farmed oysters and garlic, as well as a number of specialty dishes including gegukji (게국지) and marinated blue crab with soybean sauce (꽃게장).